Letting the Cables Sleep
by BlueGreenApples
Summary: Drabble Collection from Cyberpunk!Verse. SasuSaku. NejiTen. KibaIno. ShikaTem. NaruHina.
1. Neon Lullaby

**Neon Lullaby**

**[NejiTen. (Pre-Technopath.) **

Neji was less than pleased. Responding to his irritation, his mutation routed energy to his feet until he was more hovering than walking. Naruto had just conveniently mentioned that Tenten had gone Surface-level today. Alone. The blond recalled that he'd seen the technopath returning to Hidden Leaf through the blast doors.

From what he could gather, it had been a simple assignment. One of the tech-specialists was having a problem encrypting one of the radar scramblers and had requested that Tenten take a look. The scenario wasn't uncommon. Every couple of months, the tech department would contact his teammate with a problem they couldn't seem to solve. After all, who better to consult than someone who could literally communicate with the technology?

What irked Neji was that fact that she'd gone without backup. The circuitry that she was asked to look at was more than a mile from the nearest passage to the Underground. In the past, Tenten had always been levelheaded enough to ask he or Lee to tag along. But not today.

The trip from his home in Tower Square to her apartment in Midtown had never seemed longer.

At last he reached his destination. Plasma-panels lined the exterior of the building, their screens flashing from advertisement to advertisement. Everything on this block was on the cutting-edge of technology. Neon lights and the buzz of electronics permeated the very air. It was perfect for Tenten.

Walking up the escalator in impatience, Neji reached the landing and pressed his hand to the ID plate. Rather than flashing green for admittance, the plate instead beeped loudly and began to play a recorded message. The clear, confident tone of Tenten's voice sounded from the device, "_Hey, thanks for dropping by but I'm a little busy at the moment. I'm probably either sleeping or Surface-side. Hit the blue button if you wanna leave a message or catch me on my Com_." Laughter sounded as she continued, _"Or, if you think I'm just trying to avoid you, you can press the green button and try your luck at getting me to answer--"_

Without waiting on the rest of the message to play, Neji jabbed the green button to the side of the ID plate. A moment later, the panel shimmered and changed its display. The abstract outline of a hand was replaced by a live feed from Tenten's apartment.

A groggy Tenten rubbed a hand over her eyes as she peered out from the screen. Squinting, she asked, "What can I do for you, Neji?" She sighed and stretched a little, as if she had just woken up.

"Let me inside."

At the exceptionally cold intonation of his voice, Tenten seemed to rouse herself at last. As she moved out of the view of the camera, Neji heard the chirp of a button being pressed. Simultaneously the ID panel turned green and the door before him slid back.

Striding forward, he continued into the building until he reached apartment seventeen. This time the plate flickered to green immediately and chimed as the door opened. Neji stepped inside the apartment, stopping short when he located his teammate.

Tenten was curled-up, asleep on the pristine white couch in the living room.

Neji's eyes narrowed. It couldn't have taken him more than three minutes to come in from the street. So, not only had she gone Surface-level alone, she'd also depleted most of her energy. He felt some of his faded annoyance begin to trickle back. She just had no common sense.

He was careful not to jar her too much as he settled his weight onto the couch at her side. The plush feel of her blanket as he tugs it up and over her little body reminds him why he likes her apartment so much more than his own. A thousand little things fill the space around him, mostly electronic, but make the space feel so much more like _a home_ than anything else he's ever seen.

Pale eyes scan over the hundred or more blinking lights and read-outs of the machines scattered around the room and he marvels at the strength of Tenten's energy. The sights and sounds of flashing bulbs and ticking parts are synchronized with the soft rise and fall of her chest.

Drawing in his limbs to lay beside his teammate, Neji decides that her lecture can wait. For now, he wants to soak in the peace and comfort that her presence seems to resonate. If he knows Tenten, and he does, he knows that he can doze for an hour or two and still be up and coherent before she is. As he settles himself next to her sleep-warmed body, he wonders if his relationship with his female teammate is as platonic as he'd like to think it.

Once his pale gaze slips shut, no one is awake to see the way their energy responds to their subconscious thoughts. So, when the two wake hours later, neither can decipher how Tenten wound up cushioned on Neji's chest or why the radiopod is playing something soft and soothing.


	2. Relative Proximity

**Relative Proximity**

SasuSaku. Post-Citizen Erased.

"You're joking." Sakura's often-bubbly tone was flat.

Naruto jumped up and down in place, hardly able to contain his excitement. "No! I'm serious! We get todrive_ bikes _for our next assignment!Dual-wheelers! Kakashi just told Sasuke. Who told me. And now I'm telling you!"

The med-specialist stared at her teammate, mouth slightly agape. Sakura liked to think of herself as a fairly adventerous girl. Really. But duel bikes? Did Tsunade want to kill her apprentice? Dual bikes were notoriously hard to operate. The sheer horsepower of one was massive, and for a petite girl like her it was neigh on impossible to corner or control.

"Hey! Where are ya goin'? Aren't you gonna come and practice?" Naruto stared after the retreating form of his teammate.

Calling over her shoulder, Sakura replied. "Nope. I'm going to try and talk Tsunade-sensei out of it. If I ask now she should be able to get another team to do it."

The blond's face faltered and he sped to catch up with the disgruntled girl. Jogging a little ways infront of her, he turned and dropped to his knees on the sidewalk. He clasped his hands infront of himself and took a deep breath. "PLEASE pleasepleasepleaseplease DON'T DO THAT!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at Naruto's antics. She made to walk around him when he latched onto her waist and continued begging.

"Saku-chan! Haven't I always been good to you? PLEASE! I wanna drive one SO bad! SO BAD! SAKURAAAAA!"

Staring down at the blonde mop pressed against her belly, Sakura sighed dramatically. "If it's that big of a deal--"

"THANKS Sakura!," Naruto hopped up from the ground, "I'm gonna go find Loser and get practicing." With an overly acted-out wink, he leaned close to Sakura and said, "Chicks love it when guys drive dual-wheelers!"

Sakura watched Naruto with something akin to embarassed disbelief. Finally she replied, "_Right._ Uh huh."

A huge grin threatened to overtake his face as he brushed of his zip-up hoody and stood up straight. "Lovely ladies here I come!" That said, he flashed a thumbs-up and sauntered off toward the vehicle hanger.

Sakura pressed a hand to her forehead, wondering how she came to be such good friends with that boy. Shaking her head and deciding that there wasn't a real explination, she started back toward her house. If she was going to risk her life, she may as well be dressed appropriately.

* * *

"Wow Sakura...Just wow." Naruto covered his mouth with his hand to hide his snickers.

Even with her movements slowed by the many layers of clothing she was wearing, Sakura managed to clip her laughing teammate across the head.

Unable to resist one more quip, Naruto asked, "So how many total layers do you think you're wearing?" He danced out of reach this time and managed to avoid her angered swipe.

Pouting, Sakura crossed her arms. Or tried to. She could've died when she heard the voice that came next.

"What...are you wearing?"

As she slowly turned to face Sasuke, she felt her stomach drop to her toes. Sasuke Uchihawas wearing_ leather pants_. Sakura felt faint. The black material clung to every muscle of his legs, making his already tall, lean frame look downright mouthwatering. Now she understood how Tenten felt about that jacket they'd picked for Neji. Not that Sasuke's upper body was anything to scoff at, he filled out his fitted charcoal tee just as nicely as he did his pants. Maybe. Yeah, mostly.

Sakura decided it would probably be better to talk first, oogle later. "I'm wearing safety gear."

Starring at her,Sasuke didn't comment further. Instead, he loped over to one of the waiting bikes. The one he chose, from Sakura's limited knowledge, was a speed model. It was designed for extreme acceleration and had two, side-by-side wheels at the front and a single one at the back. The sleek lines of the body fairly screamed speed, the aerodynamic shape caught the light to reveal a reddish tint mixed into the black paint.

Naruto gave a final round of laughter at Sakura's expense and bounded over to his bike. His model was more of a performance or trick bike, with the opposite wheel scheme of Sasuke's. The cherry red bike had a single, lighter tire at the fore and a pair at the back for stability. As he hopped into the groove where the seat was located, he called, "Gonna get on your bike or what, Sakura?" Revving his machine to life, he leaned back, striking a pose that made the hole in the knee of his jeans gap wide.

Standing indecisively for a moment, the pinkette frowned and began to strip layer after layer from her body. Two minutes and four layers later, a considerably slimmer Sakura stood in a long, teal camisole and dark wash skinny jeans. Bouncing a little in place, she finally gathered her courage and stepped up to her bike.

The dual-wheels at the front and back of the frame made her bike an all-terrain vehicle. Independent suspension was cleverly engineered to allow each wheel to rise and fall but retain the look of a motorcycle. A pristine white paint job coated the frame and when she touched her hand to the ignition plate the electronics glowed green. It was a gorgeous bike, but Sakura was still terrified. She'd seen dual-wheel accident patients come into the hospital on more than one occasion. None of the cases had been pretty.

Sasuke watched as his pink-haired teammate sat nervously on her bike. "Sakura." She jumped guiltily at the sound of her name. "Ride with me."

Slanting Naruto a stony gaze when he began to protest, he added, "It'll help to learn by experience, I'll bring you back and let you try on your own when you feel more comfortable."

He let a small smirk grace his lips when a delighted look fell over her dainty features. Powering down her bike, she swung her leg back over and trotted over to where he was waiting. When she reached his side, she stood for a moment, unsure how he wanted her to climb on. Sasuke watched the sweet frown-line deepen between her brows for another second before he scooted back and made room for her to sit in front of him on the seat.

Sakura fought the blush that threatened to rise as she watched the play of his stomach muscles when he leaned back. This assignment was beginning to shape up. As she tossed her leg over to straddle the seat, Sasuke reached around her to start the bike. She studied the process carefully, watching as he deftly flicked his way through the diagnostics of the machine and adjusted things to his liking.

When he was finished with the settings, he reached for the throttle and gave it a little rev. Sakura felt her heartbeat quicken as more horsepower than she cared to measure roared to life beneath her. Adjusting a pair of dark goggles over his eyes, Sasuke leaned forward, pressing Sakura down along with him.

Just before he released the breaks, he tilted his head and muttered into her ear. "Get ready."

Across from the pair, Naruto let loose a whoop and screeched out of the garage. As soon as he got up to speed, he yanked on the handlebars and pulled the front wheel of his bike completely off the ground. Smoke trailed after his spinning tires as he disappeared out onto the road.

Settling into an almost doubled-over position, Sasuke rested his chin on her shoulder as he let of the break. Sakura let out an involuntary squeel as the bike lept forward at an impossible speed. The almost silent purr of the engine contrasted sharply with the zero to seventy-someodd acceleration. It was like nothing she had ever experienced.

As they pulled out onto the training track, they almost immediately gained on Naruto. When he noticed them coming up on his side, he turned and shook a fist at the pair. "Showoffs!"

Sakura laughed at the picture Naruto made, his spiky blond mane blowing everywhere. Before she could shout back a response, Sasuke pressed the throttle and they jetted forward again.

A turn was fast approaching and as they reached it Sasuke explained the technique of cornering a dual-bike. "Lean into it." Feeling her tense up as the bike lilted sideways, he told her, "It won't turn over. There's an internal balance system, and the model you're going to be riding is built for stability." To reassure her, he tightened his arms around her and tipped the bike into an extremely deep angle. As they pulled up he said, "See? No wipe out."

Grinning and beginning to genuinely enjoy the experience, Sakura relaxed back into her teammate's chest. As the track whipped by, Sakura turned slightly so her voice would carry back to him on the wind. "So how did you learn to drive one of these so well?"

Sakura knew she'd said something wrong when she felt the wall of his chest become rigid against her. She didn't have the chance to try and take what she'd said back, though as he responded.

"My brother." She felt her blood freeze. She could count on one hand the times he'd ever breached this subject. Sakura was surprised when he continued, "He was the best at everything. Always. Dual-bikes were his little rebellion. Sometimes...he'd take me with him."

Once she was sure he was finished, she wiggled her fingers reassuringly under his grip and told him, "I think I'm ready to try for myself."

She could feel him nod against his shoulder but wasn't prepared for the 180 degree turn he executed. Sakura could feel the momentum pulling at them only to reverse itself and send them flying in the opposite direction. She couldn't help but giggle with excitement.

As they reached the hangar, Sasuke let up on the accelerator until they rolled to a clean stop next to the white bike.

A firm grip around her waist kept her from immediately rising, she was puzzled until he asked her, "Are you sure you're alright with this? If you're not, you can always ride with me."

Placing her arms over his at her stomach, Sakura turned slightly to flash him a grin. "I'm fine now. I was just a little nervous." She bit her lip at the feeling of his chest rumbling against her back as he 'hn'd.

When he released his hold, Sakura slipped off of the dark bike and onto the light one. She felt herself jump when her hand was overshadowed by a larger, square one as she tried to check the settings.

Speaking almost directly into her ear, he mumbled, "I'll do it."

Glad for the help, Sakura watched his fingers flit across the touch panel, tuning and tweaking the diagnostics. Once he was finished, he tapped the 'Confirm' option and stepped back. He watched as his teammate curled her petite frame onto the seat and started the engine.

Before she could take off, he advanced on her. Leaning down, he pressed the wind-blown pink fringe back from her forehead. He smirked at the wondering look in her bottle green gaze. Swooping in, he brushed a kiss onto her forehead. At her gasp, he felt emboldened and trailed down to press another to the bridge of her button nose. He barely had to raise his voice above a whisper at their proximity. "You'll be fine."

As he started to retreat, Sakura stopped him with a hand fisted into his shirt. She'd been waiting to get some time alone with him since her stay in the hospital and it had been next to impossible. Tugging a little on the fabric bunched in her fist, she dragged him back down to her level. As he came into range, she covered his mouth with hers. A low rumble sounded from his chest as he reached back to kill the motor on the bike. Dragging her up from her crouched position, he rearranged them so that he was half-sitting on the seat with Sakura propped in his lap.

A soft nip at her lower lip inspired a squeak from her and Sasuke chuckled as he took the opportunity to delve into her mouth. Another sound, much lower than a squeak tumbled from the pinkette's mouth at the invasion.

Beginning to get a grip on the situation, Sakura slowly unfisted her hands from their place at his chest. One trailed up to sift through his dark hair as the other slipped down to brace her partial weight on his thigh. With her new found leverage, she found the courage to respond to his domineering tongue. It was a short battle and despite her defeat, Sakura couldn't help but smile against her longtime-crush's lips. If all of her losses were going to feel like this, she wasn't sure she wanted to win.


	3. Levity

**Levity**

In the peaceful District of Lakeside, the teens of Hidden Leaf were enjoying the sim-sunshine. Tenten, Ino and Sakura were soaking up rays on the soft sand by the lake's shore, while the males of their teams loitered in the shade of an oak tree behind them. As the girls chattered and joked, the boys were mock-sparring and trading stories.

Chouji, of Ino's team, had thought to bring a Cam-Com along to the small get together and was recording the action. As he pointed the camera at Naruto, everyone laughed as the hyper-active blond struck pose after pose and proclaimed his intentions to lead Hidden Leaf. Turning the hand-held to the girls on the shore, he asked aloud, "Has anyone seen Shikamaru?"

Ino tilted her head, allowing her rosy shades to slip down her nose. "Who knows? That slacker's probably off doing something utterly pointless." Flicking her long hair back over her shoulder, she noticed the Cam-Com and smiled prettily. She settled her weight onto one foot, cocking her hip and began blowing kisses to the camera.

Tenten snorted at the girly pose and began imitating Ino's actions, making silly faces all the while. The blonde spun, narrowing her eyes and 'jumped' into her brunette friend's body in a flash of purple energy. A decidedly 'Ino' grin overcame Tenten's face as she clasped her hands and trilled, "My name is Tenten and I'm a girly girl! I love flowers and ponies and dresses and--"

"OUCH! Ten!" Ino's consciousness returned to her body as the annoyed technopath surged the power of the radiopod next to the psychic, making a shock arc into her and break her mental connection.

Smiling unapologetically, Tenten replied, "That's what you get for jumping me, you know I hate that."

Ino stuck out her tongue then pouted when she realized the camera was no longer pointed her way. Chouji had moved on to the quietly reclining Sakura.

The pinkette was sitting on the faux-wood planks of the small dock, dangling her toes into the water. When she heard her name being called, she turned and waved over her shoulder.

"Anything you wanna record, Sakura?"

Standing, the green-eyed teen paused for a moment before replying, "Yeah! Team Seven FOREVER!"

Naruto whooped and ran down to join his teammate, dragging Sasuke along. The three stood on the dock, posing and goofing off for the camera. Naruto chanted 'sev-en' as he held up seven fingers. Sakura joined in the chant and pulled her two teammates into her sides for a three-way hug. Sasuke looked generally annoyed by the whole thing but cracked a smile as Sakura stood on tip-toe to press a sweet kiss onto his cheek. At Naruto's insistent prodding, the dark-haired boy joined his teammates in their chant.

Naruto cheered and declared, "Team Seven's the best!"

Ino protested, "Uh uh, I don't think so!"

Sauntering down to stand a little ways in front of Team Seven, she starred into the Cam-Com and shouted, "Team Ten is the best!" She held up her pointer finger and curled her other hand into an 'o,' displaying both as she threw her hands into the air above her head. Chouji cheered 'ten' along with her from his spot behind the camera.

Skipping down to join Team Seven at the dock, Ino waved for Chouji to join her. "I can't, Ino, I'm holding the camera!" She slanted him a flat look. "Chouji, we're mutants. Tell Neji to reverse the gravity on it or something."

Once the small device was hovering steadily and Tenten assured him she'd keep it playing, Chouji joined the group on the pier.

Sakura called to Tenten, convincing Team Gai to join the fun. Soon all of the teens were assembled on the planks above the calm water, playfully arguing amongst themselves.

Lee and Naruto were competing by seeing who could stand the longest on the surface of the lake, and Chouji had lifted Ino onto his shoulders. Neji was leaning down, having what looked like a rather heated conversation and gesturing at Tenten's left arm. Sakura had her arm wrapped around Sasuke's waist and had twined the fingers of her opposite hand with his at her shoulder. She was wrinkling her nose at something they were discussing while he listened calmly, watching her smile and laugh.

Rolling her eyes and brushing Neji's hand from her arm, Tenten's eyes flickered blue-green. "Guys, the battery on the Cam-Com is gonna die in...," she paused, squinting. "About twenty-three seconds."

The next twenty seconds were filled with waving until the red 'recording' light went black.

**I was actually planning on keeping this in the next installment of the Citizen Erased / Technopath arc, but I decided it'd be better off here. I really just wanted to add a little bonding time into the Cyberpunk!Verse. :3 Till next time, thanks for reading and please review! **

**FUN FACTS: **

**1. The argument between Tenten and Neji will lead to the next drabble in this collection: **_Ink on Her Skin_

**2. The reference to Shikamaru being absent will coincide with the ShikaTem fic I'm writing: **_Eddies and Shadows_

**3. The next Cyberpunk!Verse fic I'm working on is going to feature **_**both **_**Team Seven and Team Gai, and will be titled: **_Magnetic Destiny_ **(the previously announced fics Starlight and Zero-Point will still be published as planned, when the two storylines divide again)**


	4. Techno Remixed

**Techno Remixed**

**4. Tempted to Touch - Rupee**

Neji surveyed the dancefloor below him with thinly veiled anger. Lee had just informed him that Tenten had moved on their target. Trying to ignore the cloying hands of the insipid woman at his side, his dour mood only worsened when he spotted his female teammate.

Dancing so close he could scarcely tell where her body ended and his began, Tenten was swaying and bouncing to the rhythm of the music with Ken Maito.

The Neo Samurai was working his hands steadily over her back, down to her gently curved hips. Tenten's borrowed micro-mini was riding up, making the skirt impossibly short. And displaying a pair of toned, endless legs.

A groan rose from the railing beneath his hands as his anger triggered his gravity-manipulation. Releasing the bar from his grasp, he glared at the clear imprint of his hands on the metal.

Refocusing on the grinding pair below, he concentrated on the miniscule space between the man's mesh-covered chest and Tenten's slender back. A smirk lit his handsome features.

Ken wouldn't be pressing much closer now, would he?

**5. Into the Ocean - Blue October**

Tenten's eyes rolled back as the electrical shock spilled over her prone body. Distantly she could hear Ken's jeering voice, but mostly she just heard static.

Random thoughts and fears slithered through her mind. _She couldn't die by her own element...it was so __**wrong**_. _Where were her teammates? Gai? Where they okay? _

As the current fluxed again, Tenten spasamed and screamed. Rather than static and darkness, she heard a soft lullaby, saw a pale light.

Fear seized her. She was dying. The certainty of that statement was so deep she couldn't question it.

She was dying and she couldn't tell Neji she loved him.

Everything: her hopes, dreams, goals, were drifting away from her fingertips...replaced by a soft white light.

**These are continuations of Technopath that were a part of a meme I did on my Live Journal account. I've had them for a while, I just forgot about them. For the rest of the meme or sneak peeks of upcoming installments, be sure to visit my LJ accout. It's under the 'Homepage' option on my bio page. Thanks for reading and please review!**


	5. Ink on Her Skin

**Ink on Her Skin**

NejiTen. Post Technopath.

_[Dedicated to Sexyinumama_

Tenten stood, considering the blue and pink neon sign above her head thoughtfully. In bold, glowing pink letters, it read: MICRO-ILLUMINATION TATTOOS. Off to the side, the image of a blue and green scaled dragon writhed up and down the edge of the sign. Dragging her eyes away from the display, the teen lost herself in thought. Shoving her fisted hands into her pockets, the technopath trudged up the street to her apartment.

Her eyes flashed like raw electricity as she slid the door shut behind her, started her dinner and tuned the radiopod to her favorite station. As the sounds of futurerock reverberated through the hovering speakers strewn through the space, the young woman collapsed onto her couch. Kicking her ballet flat-encased feet onto the plexi-glass coffee table, she mentally calculated how many credits she had earned.

Roughly 3000 from old missions plus 550 from the 'Ken incident' minus 110 for groceries...oh! and a spare 175 from that Tech Department thing. Scrunching her nose and doing a little mental math, she arrived at about 3600 credits that she could afford to spend. As a beep sounded from the kitchen, the young Hidden Leaf defender stood. Tenten padded into the kitchen, eyes flickering as she opened the microstove and fished out her pre-prepared dinner.

Once she'd grabbed a pair of chopsticks, she ambled back toward the front room and plopped back onto the sofa. Scooping steaming rice into her mouth, she pondered. If she went through with what she was thinking about, there could be some serious repercussions...But, thinking back on how long and hard she'd worked to master her Dragon Strike technique, she decided it was worth it. Polishing off the last of her dinner, the technopath skipped a little as she went about collecting her currency from her various hiding spots.

* * *

A loud ringing woke Tenten from her sleep. Groaning and ignoring the first call, the teen just sighed and gave up when it only stopped for a moment and started up again. As she kicked off her covers and grabbed up her Com, the technopath growled, "What Sakura?"

The pinkette's chipper voice ignored the blatant annoyance and said, "Hey Sleepyhead! A bunch of people are coming down to Ino's for some lunch and fun by the lake, are you up for it?"

Thoughts of two more hours of sleep danced through her head as Tenten began, "Sounds like fun...but I'm really ti--"

Before she could even finish, Sakura interrupted, "Oh! Well that's just too bad," in a slier tone she added, "because I heard a delicious rumor about a brunette technopath being spotted in a 'Mirco parlor. Of course, I didn't believe it for a minute, but I figured I'd ask the only techie I know." A heavy sigh, "But since you can't make it, I guess I'll just clear it up through Nej--"

"I'm coming!" Before she could hear her bubbly friend's victorious cheer, Tenten cut her Com connection. Glancing down to her bandaged left arm, her brown eyes fluttered shut as she anticipated her teammate's reaction.

* * *

Ten minutes later, a still-droopy eyed Tenten was stumbling into the Lakeside District, arms laden with beach towels and a radiopod. Rolling her eyes, she thought, 'Everybody always expects the technopath to bring the electronics.' Finally arriving at the Yamanaka Flower Shop, she impatiently pecked at the glass, ignoring the 'CLOSED' sign. She knew her friends were inside.

A moment later, Sakura's riot of long pink hair flashed into view from inside the shop. As she unbolted the old-fashioned door, she winged it open and gushed, "My favorite techie!" When Tenten just stared, she skipped to what she wanted to say, "So did you really get a Micro-lite?"

Blinking and stifling a yawn, she dumped her burden into her friend's arms, "If you carry these and let me sit down, I'll show you."

A whoop was heard as the medical specialist happily toted the arm-load of goods to the backroom of the store. Tenten just scrubbed a hand over her face and locked the door manually once more. Trailing after her enthusiastic friend, she wondered, 'How did I meet these people?'

* * *

"Oh. My. God. You didn't!" Ino's baby blue eyes were wide. "You had nice skin! Why would you do that?"

As the shocked blonde hovered over the arm she was extending, Tenten drolled, "It's not like I mutilated it, Ino. It's just a Micro-lite."

The psychic just huffed and muttered, "You may as well have. Do it again, I wanna see it."

Jerking her arm back, Tenten said, "No! Not after you just said you hated it. Seriously, Ino--"

"I think it looks fine." Sakura's placid voice broke in. The blonde whirled on her friend, "So now you want one too? What'll yours say? _Sasuke-kun_?"

Calm demeanor gone, the pinkette shook her fist and railed, "How about I knock your know-it-all self out and have them put a PIG on your forehead?"

Ino scoffed, "Ha! The only one with a forehead that big would be you!"

A knock at the door at the front interrupted them. Everyone else had arrived. Sakura glared at Ino as she shouted, "Hang on!"

Hurriedly shrugging off their tops to reveal swim suits, the two rivals rushed to grab a towel and answer the door. The blonde thought to call over her shoulder, "Let's go, Tenten!"

Biting her lips, she stripped down to her modest, red one piece. With a glance at her normal-seeming left arm, she followed her friends.

* * *

Sunshine was pouring down on the girls stretched out on the sandy shore of the man-made lake. Tenten was carefully regulating the amount of energy she used, making sure her tattoo wasn't apparent. Neji had hardly spoken to her since the 'Ken incident' and she didn't want their first conversation to be an argument. Wincing at just how pathetic that sounded, she squinted her eyes shut and rolled onto her back. The last thing she needed was an uneven tan to make things worse.

For a few moments, she was at peace, soaking up sim-sun and chattering with her female friends. Chouji's voice broke in, "Has anyone seen Shikamaru?"

To her left, she felt the sand shift as Ino sat up to reply, "Who knows? That slacker's probably off doing something utterly pointless." A pleased 'ooh!' escaped the blonde and Tenten frowned when a little spray of sand was kicked up on her. Rolling back onto her belly, she looked up to find her camera-loving friend preening and posing for a Cam-com. A grin flitted across her features as she too stood.

Positioning herself a little ways behind Ino, she began to exaggeratedly imitate her motions. As she cocked a hip so far she was nearly off balance and twisted her features into a silly grin, Chouji chuckled. Baby blue eyes narrowed behind pink shades and Ino spun to find the technopath's less than flattering impersonation. A flash of purple light later, the tables had turned.

Tenten tried to scowl as she felt her conscious mind pushed into her subconscious as her psychic friend took control of her body. She heard her own voice say, "My name is Tenten and I'm a girly girl! I love flowers and ponies and dresses and--" A small gap in Ino's control let the technopath surge an arc of energy into the gloating blonde's true body. The catty grin Ino had used dissapeared as the technopath regained her body.

A smug one replaced it as Ino stumbled a little as her spirit returned to her body, complaining all the way. Tenten just crossed her arms, "That's what you get for jumping me, you know I hate that!"

More drama followed the camera as it moved on to Sakura and her Team, but Tenten didn't get the chance to follow it when a hand landed on her near-bare shoulder. Confused sepia eyes turned to find Neji standing to her left.

His voice was oddly low as he asked, "What is on your arm?"

Her expression faltered as she lifted her arm and pretended to inspect it. "What do you mean?"

Pale eyes narrowed. "You know perfectly well what I'm asking, Tenten."

Before she could respond, Chouji's voice called, "Hey Neji? Could you make this...you know, hover?" The tall teen's face blanked once more as he nodded to Chouji and reversed the gravity field beneath the device. The sheepish boy added, "And Tenten? Could you make sure it stays on?" At her nod, he beamed, "Thanks!"

The tightening grip on her shoulder didn't go unnoticed as she unthinkingly overrode the controls of the Cam com. As her eyes returned to normal, she noticed Neji's similarly tightened features. He quickly hauled her arm up and pressed a little of his energy into the spot below his thumb. The shimmering image of a blue-green dragon's head appeared momentarily.

"What is this?" His voice was calm, but Tenten felt her stomach drop to her bare toes. He sounded not angry, but disappointed.

"Tenten, Neji! Come down here!" Sakura's call interrupted the her answer.

An excited Lee grasped her right arm as he streaked by, tugging her along behind him. Neji was forced to let go of her but followed along as the pair made their way to the pier to join their friends. Once they'd joined the small group at the dock, Neji found his way to her side once more.

His voice didn't have to raise to be heard over Naruto and Lee's splashing as he said, "We will discuss this later."

The muscles of her back and shoulders strung taut as she responded, "I don't see what there is to discuss. I made a decision that has little to nothing to do with you."

She could tell by the way he drew his next breath that he was furious. Gripping her wrist, he gestured to her arm and asked lowly, "You brand yourself and you don't find it worthy of a discussion?"

Sepia eyes narrowed at his phrasing, "Brand? It was voluntary! What do--" Her eyes flickered as she felt a light buzz in the back of her mind. Jerking away from Neji's hold, she called, "Guys, the battery on the Cam-Com is gonna die in...," she paused, decoding the scrolling numbers behind her eyelids. "About twenty-three seconds."

Before the light on the little device could really flicker out, Neji had threaded an arm behind her and was ushering her toward Tower Square. As they walked quickly through the busy streets, she nearly tripped as the pavement gave way to cobblestone. Luckily, Tenten caught herself but nearly faltered again when she realized what their presence in this district meant. They were headed to HIS apartment. Tenten didn't really even know where it was. Neji was always so close-lipped about his past or what he considered his personal life.

As they drew level with a large, stone-faced townhouse, Neji tugged his teammate up the steps behind him. Pressing his palm into an ID plate disguised to match the heavy wood around it, the door swung in. Tenten's eyes widened even more at the interior. It was gorgeous. Classical decor and antiques littered the entire space, screaming opulence and wealth. She really didn't have time to ogle further as she was abruptly seated on a leather couch.

Neji paced agitatedly before her for a moment before he paused and faced her. "Why?"

Tenten started at his simple question. She clarified, "Why did I have it done?" At his terse nod, she sighed and answered, "I wanted to commemorate my Dragon--"

With two quick strides, he was in front of her. "This is about some _technique_?" The emphasis he put on the term made her sink back a little, somehow ashamed. "You marred your skin for an attack that you mastered?"

Standing, the technopath replied just short of loosing her temper, "It's an important event for me. I felt that...you know what? I don't have to explain myself to you." A hand gripped her shoulder as she turned to leave. Wheeling on her teammate, she violently broke his grip. When he frowned and started to speak, she snapped, "I'm sick of this Neji! It's like all you can express is boredom or disappointment!"

Flinging her arms wide in an all-encompassing gesture she added, "Or all of this! I've known you for _years _and I've never so much as seen your front step. It's like you get the right to know every inch of my life while I'm left to guess at yours! Hell, you even get to voice an opinion on the things I do. When have you EVER asked me for advice or let me help you? Even after..." The technopath couldn't bring herself to express what had happened on their last Surface-level mission in Old Tokio.

A steely glint came to his pale gaze as he spoke. "I meant what I said that night. Don't ever doubt that."

Tenten just laughed and hugged her arms around herself. "How can I not? You didn't say anything to me when we got back here. Everything just fell back into the routine." Exhaling slowly, she concluded, "Look, I'm just going to go. I'll let myself--"

"Ten? Wait."

Pausing at the nickname, the brunette looked up to her teammate. He was peeling away a camo-bandage from his forehead. A cool sensation skated down her spine at the sight that met her eyes as the flesh-toned strip came away. A green 'X' was inked into his brow. It wasn't the energy-controlled shine of a Micro-lite, either. It was utterly permanent ink.

In an even tone, he asked, "You want to know about my past?" At her stunned silence, he began, "This was put upon me on my uncle when I was six years old." He smiled cynically. "It _branded _me as a mutant. A freak. I was forced to attend to the 'normal' members of my family." Pacing away from Tenten's frozen form to lean against the mantel of the nearby fireplace, he continued, "I wasn't even allowed to attend school. I used to sneak books from the compound's library to try and better myself. Not that it mattered. They would never have let me attend University." Crumpling the bandage in his fist, he added, "I had no future until Gai found me, reading by flashlight in a tree at the edge of my family's grounds."

Finally locking gazes with Tenten, he smiled flatly. "You see why I don't want something like that on your skin?"

For a full moment, she was at a loss for words. At last she whispered, "Oh, Neji. I didn't know." Walking quickly to his side, she tentatively reached up to brush his brow. "I was impulsive and I'm sorry I said--"

Leaning slightly into her touch, he murmured, "Don't be. You're right. I never told you, how could you have known?"

Shaking her head, she consoled, "If it bothers you, I can have it removed! It--"

Her hand slipped down to rest on his cheekbone as he shook his head side to side. "No. If it makes you happy, then you should keep it. I just couldn't understand why you would want to mark yourself that way."

Tenten bit her lip as she pondered what she wanted to say next. Slowly, she replied, "I think...that mastering my Dragon Strike had so much significance because it meant I'd finally caught up to you." Glancing up when his pale eyes widened, she hurried to add, "I just thought that if I was as strong as you, you'd take me seriously. I don't know. But then we had that mission...I didn't know what to do. I saw the sign and just thought, 'Why not?' It just seemed okay at the time..." As she pulled her hand back, she trailed off.

Neji slowly trailed his hand up the length of her left arm and responded, "So this was because of me?" At her hesitant nod, he smiled a little. "Show me again?" Sepia eyes flashed and a pair of electric dragons twined around her bicep, roaring soundlessly as they went. Looking back into her eyes as she let the energy flow back to the rest of her body, he tapped his finger against the place the beast had been only seconds before. "I was wrong. It fits you perfectly." As surprise and happiness flickered across the girl's face, he stooped to press his lips lightly against Tenten's.

Pulling back to rest his forehead on hers, he muttered, "I'm not a perfect man, Ten. I'm sorry if I can't say the right thing to commun--"

As she cut him off with a quick kiss, she replied against the seam of his lips, "I know that. I'm not even near perfect." Grinning, she joked, "So I guess I can't hold that against you." When she felt his mouth curve into a slow smile, the technopath laughed lightly and reciprocated his affectionate 'reply.'

It may have been the first time she'd been inside his apartment, but it surely wouldn't be the last.

* * *

**This is dedicated to my wonderful reviewer, Sexyinumama in light of her AMAZING fanart. She drew a picture of Tenten from my Cyberpunk!arc that made me -SQUEE- :3 **

**Sorry it's been so long since I've updated! AP Courses in the form of a monster paper rained on my little fanfic parade. The next chapter of **_**Fealty **_**and the Epilouge to D.V. are on the way! **

**As always, thanks for reading and please review!**


	6. Enter the Matrix

**Enter the Matrix**

Serving as Hidden Leaf's master security matrix, The Cube was a four-walled, utterly transparent 'room' situated in the very heart of a monstrous computer bank. Needless to say, The Cube was Tenten's favorite place on earth.

Its almost invisible, four-foot-wide retractable drawbridge _alone_ was enough to fend most visitors off, but the technopath found she rather liked it. Only moments before, she had stormed in unperturbed by the 'perilous' crossing required to reach her haven and had set to work. The technology loving teen had immersed herself in her element within moments, piqued mood calming with each moment.

She was perched within its plexiglass confines, the whir of more servos and processors than many cared to count echoing in her ears. Green, red and yellow read outs winked from a million points on the mega computer's massive structure. The vast system of interconnected machines extended for several floors above and below the sterile deck where the technopath was seated, its transparent surfaces creating the illusion that the teen was simply suspended mid-air among the thicket of wires and hovering screens.

Seated comfortably in a plexiglass, cocoon-shaped surf lounger, Tenten worked diligently. Her nimble fingers flitted over a crystalline slab hovering before her, neon light rippling from where they made contact on the keyboard to reveal inscribed symbols and characters. A cybersurf helm complete with a holographic visor projecting various main frame status reports and security footage in front of her electric green irises was tucked behind her ear.

Tenten was monitoring the Hidden Village's defense system with a level of skill that only a technopath could claim. A soft hum issued from the girl's lips as her flitting hands froze and gripped a dial to her left, jerking it in a counter clockwise motion.

Anomaly activated eyes narrowed, their literally shocking color flaring a bit brighter with the reflected light of the screen streaming before them. A quick blur of movement and few beeps sounded as the mystified female looped the scene she was inspecting to a larger resolution. Faint frown lines formed in her brow as she drew up the raw version of the data in question to a nearby tablet server.

Pale green strands of coding and logistics scrolled through the crystal clear display, their persistent pattern only serving to worry their reader more. With one last desperate measure, Tenten reached out, shoving the keyboard away from her workspace and routing her genetic ability into her hand until it glowed the same blue green as her eyes. Pressing the charged palm onto the tablet, the technopath internally reviewed the information one last time.

Her startled gasp echoed through The Cube as she reached a shaky hand up to the cybersurf helm at her temple. Jabbing a communication link, she desperately scrolled to the Hokage's frequency and overrode protocol to speak directly from the wall mounted screen in Tsunade's office without waiting for clearance. Tenten jerked a teleportal frame to hover in front of her and patched it through to the link she'd just prepared.

Her still glowing gaze scanned the interior of her superior's office for a moment, checking to be sure only high ranking personnel were within earshot before beginning. Finding only Tsunade and Jiraiya, she announced, "I'm sorry to intrude, Hokage-sama, but I think we have a serious problem."

When the Hokage motioned for her to clarify, Tenten pressed a series of keys and sent the video feed she'd been reviewing to a pane-screen next to the one her image was broadcasting from in Tsunade's suite. As the audio-less footage looped, she grabbed a stylus and highlighted the portion of the display she wanted them to focus on with a bright red outline. Tapping the tablet she was modifying the picture with on her end, Tenten explained, "This is from camera SD A-3.49'7 east, taken about forty-eight hours ago."

Gathering a keyboard back toward her reclined position, the technopath called up a three dimensional map, splicing it into the display on the office's end until it divided the pane streaming the suspicious scene in half. She took up the stylus and tablet once more to circle a sector of the Scraper District in red, toggling it until the bird's eye view was slanted to become even with the tops of the high rise buildings before dropping finally to street level.

"This is the general area that the feed came from." Tapping a few keys in quick secession, Tenten zoomed in until she had found the precise block, then storefront she wanted. "The figures you see for a few frames on the screen above somehow tampered with the security cameras in the area. It would have worked if I hadn't become a little...irritated last night."

Jiraiya's bushy eyebrows raised a little at the flustered blush that adorned Tenten's cheeks as she mumbled a half-hearted explanation. The technopath gathered herself and enunciated, "As you know, my Anomaly manifests itself as a close interconnection with technology. When I experience high levels of stress or discomfort, I discharge energy into nearby devices. This, in the simplest terms possible, causes them to malfunction...or, well, in this case function _correctly_."

The young woman bit her lip as she noted the vaguely comprehending expressions of her superiors. They were beginning to understand, but she needed to present it a little more plainly. After all, they couldn't _feel_ the harsh irregularities in the smooth pattern of the coding where a bug had been implanted the way she could.

Grazing a fingertip over the tablet balanced in her lap to reactivate it from hibernation and tapping through its interface, Tenten pulled up a new display to further divide the screen next to her image. The sector displaying the three dimensional model of the Scrapers shrunk as its surface area was cleaved in half to make room for the new addition.

A timeline blinked into existence, complete with small screens attached to specific minutes and events. Scrolling her stylus over her monitor, Tenten indicated the first note attached to the line. "This is footage from oh one hundred hours at the 'Claddagh Firm's' main lobby." She clicked the corresponding video box and a stylishly decorated foyer appeared as the camera panned. "As you can see, not a lot happening aside from a couple of guards making rounds."

A soft tone sounded as the video darkened and the timeline reappeared. Tenten selected the next event and explained, "This was taken thirty minutes later."

Again the chic lobby appeared, its marble surfaces gleaming and its sleepy watchmen lounging behind a high counter in the foreground. Tsunade's sharp eyes thinned to slits as she spoke at last, "Stop. Rewind the feed about ten seconds."

Tenten's head bobbed approvingly. "You noticed what I did." She obligingly reversed the display and allowed it to play through once more, this time using a virtual pointer to gesture at the suspicious guardsman. "There is a tiny blip in the footage right...there! And this man's height changes by a fraction."

Cutting the feed and enlarging the original video to fill the entire pane once more, the technopath clarified, "I stumbled upon this all accidentally while I was surfing. One of the streams of influx data felt a little...rough so I decided to take a look."

Pointing toward the pane that streamed the footage in Tsunade's office, she added, "But this is what convinced me. This was shot by a street side camera across from the lobby you just saw. When I noticed the inconsistency, I ferreted out a few lines of coding that didn't belong. It seems that someone tried to **bug**_ my_ system."

Tenten was silent for a moment as Jiraiya and Tsunade watched the feed with new eyes. Four or five shadowed figures in business attire slipped from the grand building and into the night...well past conceivable service hours. The figures, who may have been considered little more than late working employees, were beginning to look shady. At last, Jiraiya asked, "How many floors does this...Claddagh Firm have?"

Caught off guard, the technopath stuttered for a moment before her fingers began to fly over the slab keyboard hovering before her. As she pulled up the appropriate blueprint and cross referenced twice for conformation, she supplied, "Umm, the highest level is the CEO's suite on the eightieth floor, sir." Affixing her eyes upon the Hokage and her confidant, she ventured, "Why, may I ask, does that interest you?"

The tall man sighed deeply, rubbing his chin in agitation as he sat back. He looked to Tsunade as he replied at length, "I had reservations about allowing the construction of a few of the buildings in the Scraper District." His dark, harried gaze levelled with Tenten's as he continued, "As you know, this isn't a normal city by any means. We are completely underground. That means that the high rises of that particular section of our Village are far closer to the pseudo-sky...and underbelly of Surface side."

Tenten's static shock irises rounded as the implications of what he was saying sunk in. Her voice was uneven as she sought to clarify, "S-sir? Do..do you mean to say that _surface dwellers_ are inside Leaf?"

Heaving in a deep breath, Jiraiya nodded gravely. "It appears that it may be the case."

**Haven't written in this !verse in **_**ages, **_**but the inspiration struck. I think I'm still a little rusty, but this is just a lead up to the continuation of the original Cyberpunk!verse. Hope you enjoyed :)**


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